Puffed cereal flake.



5 changes.

l 45 will depend more or less upon the kind and J v1.11 iv FRANK B. MARTIN, F BATTLE"CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNQR TO POSTIUM CEREAL 00., 1mm, 01? BA'IILE CREEK, MICHIGAN, A COPARTNERSHIP ASSOCIATION, LIMITED.-

rprrnn mm. FLAKE.

menses.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: r

' Be it known that I, FRA B. MARTI residing atlBattle Creek, Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in 5 Puifed Cereal Flakes, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.-

This invention -relates to flaked I cereal products such, for example, as corn flakes, ,and to the method of making the same, and

.10 has for its object to provide cooked puffed cereal flakes ready for consumption as food for-humanbeings, and which shall benonhygroscopic to a marked degree, and which shall not deteriorate under ordinary climatic Flaked cereal products as hereto-fore prepared are prone to deteriorate under atmospheric conditions, to lose their crispness, and

when served with milk or cream, to become soggy, a condition which is objectionable to many users. By my invention, provide a new food product consistmg of a mass .of

uniformly pufl'ed, roastedcereal flakes which are peculiarly palatable, and which overcome the above objections; and I "also provide a new and improved process of making the same. I take the cereal, which may be in the form of grits, such as corn grits, and preferably season the same with salt and av e0 sweetening 'agent, assugar, and place them,

In an air-dry state, in a cooker, together Wlfih' a sufficient quantity ofwater to soften the same during the cooking operation, and

- cook the same by the application of heat. Preferably; the. cooking operation .is conducted in a steam-tight cooker, and the cereal is agitated during the cooking operation. Theamount of water and theextent ofscooking' should be such as to more or less 40 vefiectually 'cook the grains,"v while at the' same-time permitting each grain to "retain its identity. The amount of water, the degree' ofheat and thelength of time during;

which this cooking operation is continued quire to be icooked longer than others, I After .the grain has been sufi'iciently cooked preferably under-steam pressure, it is .moved from the cooker and deprived of ex- I I Specification of Letters Patent. Pafl mmt gfl Nagy, 23,-][9][5 Application filed April 29, 1915. Serial metres.

traneous moisture by drying- This drying step, however, is not carried far enough to entirely dry the grainfa considerable portlon of the moisture remaining on the in-- uniformly curingor toughening the whole. When "corn gzrits are being treated l have found that this curing" step Iusually requires from ten to fourteen hours, This treatment results in developing a tough, leathery condition of the granules throughout the body thereof, and prepares them for the flaking operation.

For the purpose of flaking, water-cooled smooth-surfaced rolls are employed, which are spaced a sufiicientdistance apart to produce a flake having. aconsiderable thickness or body, rather than the very thin, shavinglike flake produced'insome processes heretofor'e practised. llhe toughened grains are "fed to: the. rdlls in such manner that each grain has ample space for flattening out without overlapping another grain. Preferably, the rolls are driven at the same surface sp'eed,,and act to-roll the kernels into flakes, while preserving, 'as'far aspossible the continuity of their tough surfaces. From the rolls, the flakes thus producedv are conducted to a roasting apparatus, wherein they are baked or roasted in such a manner as to produce a large number'of-minute pufls or bubbles upon the opposite surfaces of all of the flakes. J This is: accomplished by first subjecting the flakesto a temperature which acts to quickly-form an exterior. partiallycooked film on the outside of the flakes before the moisture contained withiii the in- 'terior of the body ofthe flakes escapes, and then quickly subjecting the flakes to a higher temperature, whereby the moisture on the interior 6f the body is converted into steam, andinforcing its way outward through the exterior-film rod-uces little puffs or bubbles 'uponthe-sur ace. The roasting operation is then'eontinued, preferably under a slight and gradualdecrease of temperature, until the desired degree of roasting is attained,

after which. the roasted pufled flakes are conducted away by any suitable carrier .to the packing or storing room v Preferably, the pulling and roasting action is carried outin "a roasting apparatus such, for example, as an inclined revoluble drum, preferably perforated and heated. by

open flame, and provided with internal fins or ribs whichlift the flakes as the drum re- .volves, and showers them through theheat- 'ed atmosphere within the ably heat is so regulated that the flakes enter azQne of temperature of about 300 F.,

moisture confined .by the "develops pressure which bursts outward through the film-covering, forming a multiplicity oflittle bubbles or puffs on the opp'osite facesgof the flakes, giving the flakes a uniform puffed -appearance. The pufied flake's are then passed through a heat zone of somewhat reduced temperature, where the final roasting or baking occurs, after which they are delivered into the atmosphere; The ;-result is-a product of great uniformity in which each flake of the mass is evenly puffed and t oasted; and, if a sweetening agent has been. employed, .the same is caramelized by color, preferably slightly brown, are very crisp, and retain their crispness under ordi;

vAs a specific example, I place in a steamjacketedcooker 1500 pounds of white corn 5o grits, together with '40 pounds of salt, pounds of cane sugar, and from 50 to galions of water, 'dependin upon the moisture the .corn.- The mass is then heated under about 15 pounds steam pressure, or at a temperatureof about 259 F., for about 4: hours, more (miles depending upon the character of the corn. After being removed from the cooker,- the grits are dried until the surfaces of the grains are dried to a leathery 6o condition,- while leavingthe centers "of the .grains still moistgy-Preferably, this drying step; is accomplished bypass ng the cooked grits throughthe meshes of a revolving reel,

-. whereby the surfacesare partially dried and Y the individual grainsseparated,-so that they Preferoperation, theigrain is fedthrough waterlj surfaces. The flakes thenenter the *next' and hottest zone, where vaporization of the,

- revolutions per minute has been found suitthe roasting. "The flakes have a uniform product is placed in vats orbins, which are:

kept covered, preferably with a textile cover, where they remain for from 10 to l-t hours, while the temperature of the mass is maintained at approximately. a room temperature ofabout \7 0 F. As a result of this treatment, the moisture on the interior of the grains is evenly distributed throughout the entire mass of the same, and the whole grain becomes uniformlytough and leathery. After this curing or toughening cooled flaln'pg rolls of the character de' scribed aboi e, and leaves the rolls in the 'form of flattened -or thick flakes,

which are fed directly into an inclined revoluble drum,-provided with interiorly projecting fins or ribs. The walls'of the drum are perforatedand heated by gas flames so arranged and regulated that zones of temperature are maintained therein, as above described, and the drum itself is preferably inclosed in a casing of sheet'metal covered with asbestos. For handling the flakes in quantities, a drum about 20 feet long, 38

inches in'diameter, and making about 120 able. The flakes remain in the roaster for about three minutes from the time they enter until they are disharged. The flakes thus produced are more crisp after they I have been exposed to the atmosphere for a 05 few moments, even when'the air is moist, than they are wlien they leave the roaster, and resist moisture in a characteristic manner, due, it is believed, to the short time of exposure over a long path in ahighlyheat- .ed state.

-While I have specifically described the invention in connection with. the manufacture of puffed corn flakes, it is to be understood that the invention .is not limited to the 1 5 treatment of corn or Indian maize, but is equally applicable to other grains, such as rice, which are capable of being treatedin theform of integral grains'or cracked or broken portions thereof, as distinguished from said grains when reduced to the-condition o'f'flour or starch.

What is-cl'aimed is:-

'1. The method of treating cerealswhich consists in forming the same into moisture- 126 containing flakes having an appreciable ithickne'ss or body, then forming afilm' on the exterior-surfaces of the flakes, pulling the flakes by heat.

2. The method of ,tneating cereals which 130 and then consists in forming the same into moisturecontaming flakes, occluding moisture wlthin the flakes by converting the exterior surfaces and for a length of time to affect the exterior surfaces only of the flakes, and then quickly subjecting said flakes ature.

4. The method of making pufled cereal flakes which consists in cooking the grains in the presence of moisture, partially drying and then evenly distributing the remaining moisture throughout the grains, flaking the grains, and then passing the flakes first through av quickly increasing and then a gradually decreasing temperature.

5. The method of making puifed cereal flakes which consists in cooking the grains under steam pressure, toughening the granules, flaking the same, searing the flake surfaces, and then pufling the flakes by heat.

6. The method of making puffed cereal flakes which consists in cooking the grains under pressure, partially drying the same, permitting the partially dried grains to stand in a mass to uniformly distribute the mo-is-' ture through the grains and toughen the same, flaking the grains, and then subjecting the flakes to a progressively increasing temperature to puff them.

7. The method of treating cereals which consists in cooking the cereal in the presence oi; moisture, flaking the cooked grams, converting the exterior surfaces of the flakes into a tough film by the action of heat, and

then pufiing the flakes by quickly subjecting,

the flakes to a higher temperature.

8. The method of treating cereals which consists in cooking the cereal 1n the presence .of'moistu're, partially drying'and toughening the cooked grains, then flaking the same, then forming a film on the exterior-surface of the flakes by the action of heat, and ,then puffing the flakes by the application of a higher degree of heat.

9. The method of making pufl'ed cereal flakes which consists in steam cooking the cereal under pressure, surface drying the grains and then permitting them to stand to distribute the remaining moisture throughout the grains whereby they are toughened, flaking the granules, and then subjecting the flakes to a progressively increasing temperature to putt them.

10. The method of treating cereals which consists in cooking the grains in the presence of moisture and under steam pressure, par-- tially drying the cooked grains, permitting them to stand to more,evenly distribute the Y moisture throughout the grams, flaking the to a higher tempergrains, then subjecting the flakes momentarily to a temperature of approximately 300 F., and then quickly subjecting them to a temperature of approximately 440 F. to puff them. I

- 11. The method of treating cereals which consists, in cooking the cereal in the presence of moisture, then drying the exterior surface of the cereal, then uniformly toughening the same by permitting the partially dried grains to stand until the moisture is evenly distributed throughoutthe mass of each grain, then flaking the grains, then forming a film on the exterior of the flakes by heat, and then quickly subjecting the same to a higher degree of heat to pufi the flakes.

12. The method of treating cereals which consists in cooking and evenly toughening the grains, and then flaking thesame, forming a film on the flakes at one degree of temperature and then quickly subjecting the flakes to a higher degree of temperature to puff the same.

13. The method of treating cereals which consists in cooking the grains in the presenceof moisture, partially 'drying the grains by surface evaporation, then evenly distributing the remaining moisture throughout the grains, then flaking the grains, then subjecting the flakes to heat to form a covering forming a'plural'ity of puffs on the oppoit site faces of the flakes by the action of heat.

15. The method of treating cereals which consists in cooking the grains in the pres ence of moisture, evenly toughening the grains by partially drying and uniformly istributing the W remaining moisture throughout the grains, flaking the grains,

and then forming a pluralityof pufi's on the opposite faces of the grains bysubjecta ing the flakes first to a searing or film-forming the temperature. I

16. A food product consisting'of a uniform mass of evenly pufl'ed cereal flakes.

17. A food product consisting of a uni form mass of evenly puffed corn flakes.

18. A food product consisting of a uniform ing temperature and then quickly increas-' mass of evenly puffed, toasted cereal flakes.-

19. A food product consisting of a uni? form mass of evenly pufled, toasted corn flakes.

'20. A food product consisting of a uni- A form mass of evenly puffed cereal flakes containing a caramelized saccharine substance.

as film for the contained moisture and then to 21. A food product consisting of a unihas a plurality of puffs on its opposite 10 form mass of evenly pufi'ed corn flakes consides. v taining a caramelized saccharine substance. In testimony whereof I have signed this 22. A food product consisting of a mass specification in the presence of two subscrib- 5 of toasted cereal flakes each flake of which ing witnesses.

has a'plurality of 'pu'ffs on its opposite FRANK B. MARTIN. sides. Witnesses 23. A food product consisting of a mass Lon E. VVILLsoN,

of toasted corn flakes each flake of which VERN D. SUTTON. 

